Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 19 1924. 1,484,376

E: LANzERoTTl-SPINA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb, 21. 1921 e sheets-Sheet 1 4Feb. 19, 1924. 1,484,376

E. LANzERoTTl-SPINA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Fb. 21. 1921 e sheets-sheet 2 Feb.' 19;, 1924.

Filed Feb. 21't s sheets-.sheet s Feb. 19 1924,

' 1,484,376 E. LANZEROTTl-SPINA INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINE Filed Feb. 21. 1921 f e sheets-sheet 4 iwf/Woe.

Feb. 19 1924.

E. LANZEROTTl-SPINA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 21*I 1`921 esheets-sheet s Feb. 19 1924.

E. LANZERTTl-SPINA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 21 1921 6 Sheets-*Sheet 6 Patented Fels.. i9, 1924,

Ass 'rs tasas? ETTORE LANznRo'rrr-SPINA, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

i INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed February 21, 1921.

To all w/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, ETTORE LANznRo'r'rI proved construction of internalcombustionA engine, andparticularly an improved formation of the cylinder head and combustion chamber, an improved disposition of the valves and valve stems and inlet and outlet passages, and a simpliiied valve operating mechanism.

The cylinder head is convex and preferably spherical on its inner surface; and the valves are arranged in a ring with their valve stems inclined; for instance projecting radially from a spherical or substantially spherical zone in the head. Admission and exhaustv valves alternate singly ori-n groups; and the inclination of their stems together enables all the valves to be operated by two levers, one for the admission and one for the exhaust valves. Vertical inlet and outlet passages areformed in the head. ex-

tending from the valve openings to the flat top of the head.

Constructions according-,to the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in. which, f l

Figures 1 and 2 are sectionall elevations at right angles of yone construction the sec-- tions being taken on lines I-I and 'II-1I respectively of' Figure 4, .while Y.

Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of this construction, Figure 3 showing a modied arrangement of the valves.

-F igures 5 and 6 are a diagrammaticplan from underneath and sectional elevation of a further modified disposition of the valves, and l Figures and 8 similar` views of yet another disposition. v

lFigure 9 is a vertical section in part substantially on the line IXe-1X and in part substantiallylon the line X-IX of Figure 11 of a preferred construction of inlet and outlet-passages and a modied arrangement of valves.- Y Y y 4 f -Figure 10 is an end. elevation,

Figure 11a plan, and

lFigure 12 a section onl the line XII--XII of Figure 11 of this construction.

Serial No. 446,624.

In the construction of Figures 1'to 4the cylinder 1 is shown as fitted with a separateI head 2 secured by bolts in well-'known manf ner. convex and preferably spherical. *A7, plufV rality of admission and of exhaust valves is. employed, especially for cylinders oflarge size, yThese valves 4 may bearranged in various ways; for instance in one or more rings, with or Without a valve in the centre. In the construction of `Figures 1 to 4 they are in a single lringnear the periphery of the head. Their valve stems 5 are inclined;

for instance, they mayk project radially from the spherical inner surface of the head or froma spherical (Figure 8) or substantially spherical (Figure 6) 201,16 formed on that inner surface, in case the whole surface is` not spherical. rlhe'valve stems move inin- 75 clined guides 6.v The valves are pulled upon their seating-s by springs 7, and are depressed' and opened by levers 8, 9 respectively, each ot' which operates, say, one half the valves.

In Figure 3 the lever 8V operates the lower- 50 most pair and uppermost pair otvalves in that figure, while the lever 9 operatesthe pair to the right and the pair to the left. In Figure 4 the admission and exhaust valves alternate singly, instead of in pairs or larger groups, so that 'the lever 9 operates the uppermost and lowermost valves in that figure and also the valvesto right and left, ailnof which areexhaust valves, While the lever 8 operates the alternate admissiougo valves. It will be seen that the end 10 of the lever 9 is arched so that the lever 8 may extend through lthe arch. The levers rock y upon a common pivot 11 and may be operated directly from an'overhead cam shaft, 95

or by vertical push rods, such as 12, from a cam shaft vsuitably disposed in the crank caslng orelsewhere.- They act uponfthe` valve stems. 5 through vertical sliding )lunfrers 13 14 one iittind inside and one 10e l. b 9 7 tu outside the vertical liollowguide 15. Each piuingerv carries a number of rollers 16, one for each valve stem, and the valve stems terminate in caps 17, Which afford a broad enough surface for the rollers 16 to bear 105 upon in all positions of the val-ve, and also give a means for adjustment by the insertion of metal shims between the cap and the end of the stem. The inletrand outlet passages 18 extend vertically from the valve openings 11o to the flat top of the head 2, and are there connected with sultable manifolds, for A`1n- The interior surface 3 of this head is. 6U

stance Yin 'such fashions as are'in'dicated in Figures 3 and 4'. vrlhe Whole o'tl'ie head 1s Water cooled, the pipes 19 being Water cony oli' small overall dimensions.

nections.

Alternatively the plungers may be operated directly or through t'appets by cams on a suitably disposed cam shalt.

The alternation of admission and exhaust valves either singly or in groups, ensures that. thezcooling eect of the incoming gases, and the heating effect or thev outgoing gases, shall be fairly evenly distributed over 'the head'. The inclining, ci the valve stems towards one anotherrv on the outside olthe cyl'- inder acilitatesthe'ir. oper-ation from a central'mechani'sm which conduces to; a design Further, this inclined arrangement, together with the location of the valves near the periphery oi the head, presents the advantage that ii a valve stem or valve spring breaks 'the valve descends only a little further than in its normalI openingand then remains 'supported clear oi the piston bythe Wall ofthe cylinder and the lower end oi its stem guide.

The vertical arrangement or' inlet vand outlet passages also conduces to a design or small overall dimensions; `and in the case of a cast Y head'malesa comparatively' simple casting.

TheseV vertical passages may be used' With heads of other than conveX or hemispherical form.; in fact in any case in which the valve stems are sufficiently inclined, Whether towards the centre or outwards. y

It "vvitli a cylinder head of this form there is used a domed piston,such as is indicated at 20, fthe con'ibustion chamber or coniipression space becomes substantially annular in form, and results inthe production oi a core of hot gases or annular form and of more 'o'r less pear-'shaped lcross-section. Sparling'plugs are inserted laterally at the top of' the cylinder as through the ,plug holes 2li. It is not, however, essential to employ ya domed piston; for some purposes it may be convenient to have the piston l dished an'd'more or less conforming to 'the general curvature of the head, as 'indicated in Figure 8. n

IFor large engines it may be convenient to subdivide the valves inthe fashion shovvn in Figures 5 to 8.V In Figures' and 6 the valves 'are Yarranged in groups of'th'ree, each groupl seating upon 'a Vflattened surface formed upon al substantially spherical Zone. The valve stems ofthe three valves in one group are parallel with 'each other, but the respective V groups of stems converge as before. In Figures 7 `and`8 there is 'the same sub-division of the 'valves intoV groups of tlfree, but these areV all 'set radially in a spherical IZone, so that alltheir valve 'stems converge. j' I It is convenient to provide in eeen cylieder 'head 'segments et manifolds @ont municating with the vertical'passages t'o the valves and" terminating at 'the sides or the cylinder in position to make joint with corresponding segments. in. an adjacent cylinder. Figures 9 ,to l2 show 'an example of sue-.h a conseri'icftion 'for the inlet manifolds. In addition tof the convex head 22 there is a casting 23" which is made up of the manifold segments, their junctions to the vertical` valve passages, their Water'jaclet, and an oil space. The oil space includes 'the space Within which the valve stems and their operating Aplungers are placed.V It is closed at the 'top by a cover plate 24 which 'also covers in the valve operating levers; and is connected by a pipe 25 with 'the crank casing'j7 so that the valve mechanism is kept sutilciently lubricated by oil reaching the space iu the form of vapouror finely divided particles. i Tivo inlet manifolds -are indicated at 26`and127 and their 'Water jacket space at "o @ne exhaust manifold is 'indicated at '29 it will be vseen Ythat it communicates With the tivo lon'fermo'st valves in Figure 11 and opens on the upper surface of the casting. The tivo upperinost valves will' similarly coinmunicate With the second exhaust manifold and the remaining four valves oi the outer ring VWith one or other inlet manifold 26 orj27.

y Figure 9 yalso shows how a valve may be disposed centrally in the head. In the construction Yillustrated the centre valve 30 is one of the inlet valves and communicates with the manifolds 26 and 27. But such a centre valve can be either an exhaust or an inlet valve and ii" desired 'there may be a Y single large central valve forinlet', say, and' a ring of valves for eXhaus't. vInthe liggure 'the central valve 'is oper ated by the same plunger 31 asxoperates the remaining inlet valves. In case it Were the only inlet valve it could obviously be operated direct. 'from its rocking lever or from 'an overhead cam shalt, With orxvithout the iuterposition of Aa tappetsuch as 32.

Vilha't I claim is: Y j

l'. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinderfa head, valves in said' head vnumbgering atleast three evenly spaced around' saidliead, said valves having their stems converging together towards the outside of the cylinder so that their ends are in close proximity, and" mechanism fo'r operating said valves. Y j i 2.v In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder. a 'head7 a plurality of valves in "said" 'headz moving' in planes` containing the 'cylinder axis but; nclin-ed to one another, said `valves having stems incliningitogethertowards their buter ends, and mechanism for operatingv 'said valves.V l' v 3; In an internal cqlmbuston jen-gine the combination 'ora cylinder, a head, a plural l Ilm megeve Y 3 ity of inlet valves, and a plurality of outlet valves in said head, all of said valves being evenly spaced in a ring aro-und said head, said valves having stems converging together towards their outer ends, and mechanism for operating said valves.

4. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head, a plurality of inlet and exhaust valves in said head having stems converging together, inlet valves alternating With exhaust valves, a plunger co-axial With the cylinder operating all of the inlet valves and a second plunger co-axial with the cylinder operating all of the exhaust valves.

5. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head, a plurality of inlet and exhaust valves in said head, inlet valves alternating with exhaust valves, a plunger operating all of the inlet valves, and a second plunger operating all of the exhaust valves.

6. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head having a convex inner surface, valves in said head having their stems converging together, a plunger operating upon a plurality of said valve stems, and a second plunger operating upon the-remainder of the valve stems.

7. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head, a plurality of inlet and exhaust valvesk in said head, inlet valves alternating With exhaust valves, a plunger operating all of the inlet valves, and a second plunger concentric With the lirst operating all of the exhaust valves.

8. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head having a convex interior surface, at least three ports in said head Within the area of the projection of the cylinder bore upon said head, valves closing said ports having their stems substantially at right angles to the interior surface of said head, and mechanism for operating said valves.

9. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head having ports Within the diameter of the cylinder, valves in said head closing its ports and having their stems inclined to the axis of the cylinder, and passages in said head extending from said ports parallel With the axis of the cylinder.

10. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head having a convex inner surface, valves in said head having their stems converging together, a member operating upon a plurality of Said valve stems, and a second member operating upon the remainder of the valve stems.

l1. In an internal Vcombustion engine the combination of a cylinder, a head havingy ports Within the diameter of the cylinder,

valves in said head closing its ports and having their stemsA inclining together towards the outer ends, and passages in said head extending from said ports and opening upon the top of said head around said valve stems.

l2. In an internal combustion engine the combination of a cylinder, ahead having ports Within the diameter of the cylinder, valves in said head closing its ports, straight passages extending from said ports parallel with the cylinder axis to the top of the head and valve stems inclined to the axis of the cylinder and passing through the lateral Wall of said passages.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ETTORE LANzERoTTLsPINA. 

